Everything You Need to Know About Curating and Hanging a Gallery Wall

So, you want to create a gallery wall in your home? We don't blame you—gallery walls are Pinterest gold and when done well are like a grown-up version of your middle-school mood board: a collage of photos and artwork that represent your personality, style, and experiences. This may seem like a complicated project to undertake, but in reality, there are really just two things you need: the framed artwork and other wall decor you're going to hang and a layout plan for your space. Having a hold on both of those might seem daunting, though, so we're here to help you out! Behold, our step-by-step guide to creating a gallery wall that you'll totally be proud of:

1. Planning Your Theme

Before you even begin shopping for artwork to complete your gallery wall (or even if you already have it framed and ready to go), you need to decide on the kind of look you're going for. Do you want your hallway to look like a boutique art gallery? Or do you want to create an ode to your world travels above your couch? As is true with most things, the best way to decide what you want your gallery wall to look like is to look at lots of other people's, and see which you like.

OK, so you know what you want your wall to look like. Now you need artwork. If you've decided to do a gallery wall, you might have some artwork that you want to incorporate—whether it's family photos, a vintage concert poster, or a pretty print you've been wanting to hang up. (Starting from scratch? Check out our resources for affordable art you can shop online.) While you're shopping, remember the style you're going for: It will dictate whether you should stick to pieces of a certain size or color scheme. Also, do you want to include objects other than framed art or photos? Mirrors, clocks, and other 3-D wall decor can take your gallery wall to the next level—literally.

3. Framing Your Pieces

Beyond your artwork, you need to think about frames: Do you want a uniform look with all black frames, or do you want some variety between gold, white, and wood? If your artwork doesn't necessarily have a unifying color scheme or theme, the same color frame can help create a sense of cohesiveness. It all depends on your personality and the personality of the room you're decorating. If you like the eclectic, mismatched look, go for it. But if you're extremely type A and like uniformity, don't try to create something that doesn't fit you.

Looking for a great frame resource—and a more skilled set of eyes for designing your wall? Check out the Framebridgegallery wall package: $99 will get you a design consultation, frame style and layout options (like the one pictured above), and $50 toward custom framing for your artwork. If you're not super design-savvy, a little help can go a long way.

4. Planning Your Layout

Alright, you've got your framed artwork and an idea of how it's all going to come together. Now you need to actually plan the layout of your gallery wall and hang your art. A lot of your layout is dependent on the amount of wall space you want to dedicate to your gallery wall. A full wall will make more of an impact, so don't shy away from using a smaller area. However, if you have a large wall you'd like to fill, it's smart to plan your gallery wall over a piece of furniture so your layout doesn't have to go floor-to-ceiling. You don't want your pieces of art to be too spaced out, but you also don't want your gallery to look dwarfed if it's only a few gathered pieces on a huge, otherwise empty wall. Balance is key.

How you actually arrange your frames and decor can be the most important—and most daunting—part of creating your gallery wall. There are so many tutorials and guides to hanging artwork out there, it can be overwhelming. One suggestion that you'll see a lot: Cut out pieces of paper the size of each of your frames and tape them on the wall to see how everything will fit together. If you need to play around with your pieces to find the right combination, it's much easier to do that with your actual frames on the floor or on your kitchen table.

To help you tackle this challenge, we created five graphics that are part inspiration, part how-to-tips for organizing and hanging your own art based on the style you're going for, as well as the wall space you're working with.

Center your gallery wall around one large, standout piece of artwork—literally. Hang your statement piece in the center of your wall space, and hang smaller pieces on each side of the centered piece, balancing them by placing a similar amount of same-sized frames and objects on each side.

Arrangement tip: This layout works best centered over a piece of furniture, like a bed, couch, or dresser.Frames Within a Frame

Working with a large wall and need to set some boundaries? An option that blends the eclectic and organized is aligning the edges of all of your frames so they create a "frame" for the entire gallery. You then can fill in the middle, puzzle-piece-style with variously sized and oriented frames.

Arrangement tip: This layout can work well in as small or large of a space you have since it defines its own border in a way that looks purposeful.

That's right: If you really want to achieve the eclectic, unorganized gallery wall that often catches your attention, there aren't really any rules you can follow. You shouldn't think too much about it. Let your furniture, ceiling, windows, and doors be your borders, and fill in the available wall space with a variety of frames in several sizes, in addition to clocks, mirrors, or other wall decor. Even spacing between frames helps you maintain the gallery look, but try to not line frames up: A lack of symmetry and balance will help you achieve the look you're going for.

Arrangement tip: Pick a wall where your artwork will fill the space. This look has the best impact when it's a wall-full of frames.

If you have a set of four or more coordinating and same-sized prints in matching frames, you can create an impactful gallery wall while still maintaining clean lines and organization within your space.

Arrangement tip: A large square grid can make a big impact on an otherwise bare wall. But this can also work well as a punch of color over a neutral couch, or vice versa with mostly white prints on a bright wall.

If planning out a large-scale gallery wall intimidates you, you can create a similarly impactful display with two or more long shelves. Still use a variety of shapes and sizes for frames, and lean them on the shelf against the wall. Bonus points for layering frames over one another, and adding in smaller decorative objects that sit easier than they would hang.

Arrangement tip: Since this is the most 3-D way to display your art, choose somewhere with the space to accommodate that, and don't hide them behind furniture.